Raven: The Professional Troublemaker
by Serena-chan1
Summary: *FINALLY UPDATED!!*Ginny's troublemaker of a friend comes over to visit during the hollidays. Also, Ron has invited Harry. h/g This takes place after the GoF.
1. Raven a.k.a. Trouble

"Raven: The Professional Troublemaker"  
by: Serena-chan  
  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
A/N: Hey everyone! This is my second HP fic so I hope it's better than my   
last one! Please r/r and tell me what you think!  
_____________________________________________________________  
  
Harry stared boredly out of the window of his room at number 4, Privett   
Drive. The Dursleys were being awful this summer and Harry found that it   
was much easier to stay in his room than attempting to go down stairs.   
  
Just as Harry thought he might die of boredom, an owl no bigger than harry's   
palm, flew in the window. It sat down on the floor next to him, hooting proudly   
because it had delivered its letter.   
  
"Pig!" Harry exclaimed happily. He untied the letter from the tiny owls leg and  
sat down to read it:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
How's your summer going? Mine's going great! Bill and Charley came   
down to visit, but they couldn't stay long because of their jobs. Percy's   
off doing something for the ministry so he's out of the way. Fred and   
George have been acting strangly lately. They almost never leave their   
room and there have been extra loud explosions coming out of there.   
Oh well, I expect we'll find out sooner or later.   
  
Guess what?! Dumbledoor just wrote to Dad and told him that it was  
okay for you to come visit us! I can't wait! We'll pick you up at 3:00  
tomarrow afternoon. Send your reply as soon as you can.  
  
I invited Hermione to come too, but her family's off on some trip so we  
won't be able to see her until school starts. Just to warn you, Ginny has  
a friend over this summer. Her name's Raven and she's the biggest   
troublemaker I've ever seen. Well, I'd better go now.  
  
-Ron  
  
Harry folded up the note excitedly and pulled out a piece of parchment and his pen.   
  
Ron,  
  
Thanks so much for inviting me! (The Dursleys are being horrid this   
summer!) I'd love to come! It's too bad that Hermione won't be there   
though. As for this Raven friend, I'm sure she's not that bad. Anyway,   
I'll end this letter now because I don't think your owl will be able to   
carry one much longer that this.  
  
-Harry  
  
Harry attached the note to Pig and sent him off through the window. His   
spirits much improved, he began to pack.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Weaslys arrived right on time outside number 4. They were driving a car   
lent to them by the ministry. Mr. Weasly helped Harry put his things in the   
trunk of the car.   
  
As they were driving along Harry asked, "So, where's Fred and George?"  
  
"Back at home," Ron replied, "with Mum, Ginny, and Trouble."  
  
"Honestly," Harry said, "how bad can she be?"  
  
"Bad enough."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They reached the burrow and carried Harry's things up to Ron's room. Mrs.   
Weasly greeted Harry with a hug and a, "Hello Harry, dear!" Ron and Harry   
went into the kitchen and helped Mrs. Weasly by setting the table.   
  
"Ron, Harry," Mrs. Weasly said, "please go up and get the girls."  
  
Harry followed a grumbling Ron up the stairs toward Ginny's room. Ron knocked   
and the girls emereged. One look at Raven told Harry where she had gotten   
her name. She long black hair and very dark eyes that glinted mischeviously.   
  
"Dinner's ready." Ron said to the girls.  
  
"Okay," mumbled Ginny, trying not to make eye contact with Harry.  
  
"Oh, so you must be Harry," Raven said delitedly, "I'm Raven, Ginny's friend."  
  
"Hello," said Harry.  
  
Raven turned to look at Ginny and found her staring at the floor. She elbowed   
Ginny sharply in the ribs causing her to jump and then stutter a very nervous   
hello to Harry.  
  
"Hello, Ginny," said Harry warmly, "How have you been?"  
  
"Fine," Ginny mumbled chancing a look into his green eyes. It was then that   
Harry noticed how much she'd grown since the time in the Chamber of Secrets.   
She was just a little girl then, but now she'd really grown.  
  
She was only about four inches shorter than Harry. Her red hair was flowing   
gracefully just past her shoulders. She had the most amazing eyes. They were   
a very light brown, kind of a carmel color. Her freckles were covering the tops   
of her cheeks as well as her nose. She looked adorable.   
  
Harry felt a strange feeling coming over him, and this time, it was him who looked   
away. He could feel a sight blush coming to his cheeks.  
  
Ron noticed the blush but chose to say nothing in front of the girls. He'd ask him   
about that later. "Well come on," he said, "I'm starved!"  
  
The girls clambered down the stairs closely followed by Ron and Harry. Harry   
noticed Ron looking at Raven apprehensively.  
  
"I don't think she's that bad," Harry said, gesturing toward Raven.  
  
"Just wait and see," Ron muttered.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After supper, Ginny and Raven went upstairs to her room. Raven shut the door   
and locked it. She then flopped down on the bed and said, "Honestly Ginny! You   
hardly looked at him at all this evening, let alone talk to him."  
  
"I know! I'm sorry."  
  
"Your just too shy. You really ought to let me talk to him."  
  
"NO! Raven please don't try to play matchmaker! It'll never work out anyway!"  
  
"Never say never!" Raven said, grinning, "Anyway, I'm gonna go down and get a   
glass of water."  
  
Leaving Ginny in her room, Raven walked down the hall toward the kitchen.   
However, when she reached Ron's door she heard voices and stopped to listen.  
  
"So, exactly what was that blush about, Harry?" Ron was saying.  
  
"W-what blush?" Harry stuttered.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about." Ron said mischieviously, "You blushed when you   
saw my little sister! You like her, don't you?"  
  
"I-I don't!"  
  
"Harry, your blushing right now! Admit it, you like her!"  
  
"W-well, maybe." Harry said after an emarrased pause, "I'm just not sure yet.   
And anyway, it's no different than you liking Hermione!"  
  
Here Raven giggled and tucked that piece of information into the back of her   
memory.  
  
"I do not!" Ron shouted indignantly.  
  
"Come on Ron," Harry said, rolling his eyes, "I've seen the way you look at her."  
  
"But-"  
  
"And why would you get to jealous of Krum if you didn't care for her?"  
  
There was a long pause. "All right, all right! You win!" Ron said at last.   
"I'm gonna go downstairs and get a glass of water or something."   
  
The door swung open and Ron emerged, chuckling. "Harry and my sister.   
Who would have thought?"  
  
"SO!" shouted Raven, making Ron jump, "He does like her!"  
  
Ron clamped a hand over Raven's mouth and quickly shut his door. "All right,   
you little brat, how much did you hear?!"   
  
"Hear everything!" said Raven happily.  
  
"Why you little-"  
  
"And your going to help me get them together!"  
  
"I will NOT!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"You have to! Harry's you best friend and Ginny's you sister. You should   
want them to be happy, and besides," here Raven grinned evily, "I'll tell   
everyone all about how you like Hermione if you don't help me!"  
  
"You wouldn't dare!" shrieked Ron.  
  
"Bet me!" Raven grinned. "So, are you going to help?"  
  
Ron sighed, "Do I have a choice?"  
  
"Come on," Raven said happily, "we'll discuss this downstairs."  
  
Raven grabbed his hand and pulled him down the steps.  
______________________________________________________________  
  
A/N: Okay y'all! That was the first chapter of my second HP fic ever! Yay!   
r/r and tell me what you think!  
~Serena-chan~  
  



	2. Blackmail

"Raven: The Professional Troublemaker"  
by: Serena-chan  
  
  
A/N: Okay, here's part two!!  
______________________________________________________________  
  
"Why do I have to be a part of this?!" Ron asked, outraged, "Can't you   
manage on your own?"  
  
"Because," Raven said matter-of-factly, "it always helps to have a partner in   
crime!"  
  
They were sitting down in Ron's kitchen discussing the matter of getting Harry   
and Ginny together over a glass of iced pumpkin juice.  
  
"I always knew you were trouble." Ron grumbled under his breath.  
  
"Enough yapping!" Raven shouted, "How are we going to do this? We need a   
plan!" Raven whipped out a piece of parchment and a quill pen. "Any suggestions?"  
  
  
"Your the one forcing me into all of this," Ron said, "you think up the plan."  
  
"Fine!" said Raven, glaring at him and pointing her pen, "But you've gotta help   
me carry it out, all right?"  
  
"What ever." muttered Ron.  
  
"Good. Now, let's see..." she began to scribble furiously on the piece of   
parchment.  
  
And Harry said that she wasn't any trouble, ha! Ron thought.  
  
"Done!" shouted Raven, jerking Ron out of his thoughts.  
  
"Your finished already?" Ron said in surprise.  
  
"Well I am a master at this kind of thing." Raven said, winking, "I've   
done this a million times before."  
  
"Figures." muttered Ron, as he took the parchment from Raven and   
read:  
  
The Plan:  
Phase one-the trip  
  
"Trip?" asked Ron.  
  
"Okay, picture this scenario: Harry is walking down the hall. The   
only other person in it is Ginny. Harry trips. Ginny, being the   
nice person she is, will help him up. That will definitely make a good   
impression in Harry's eyes since he hasn't really discovered his   
feelings for her yet."  
  
"I guess." Ron said, "But how will you make sure that he trips?"  
  
"I've already got that figured out." Raven replied, "Just keep   
reading."  
  
Phase two-talking  
  
"What's 'phase two' about?" Ron asked.  
  
"Ginny always says that when she has a boyfriend, she wants it   
to be someone she can tell anything to. We have to somehow get   
them alone and make them have one of those heart-to-heart chats.   
That'll make Ginny like him even more."  
  
Phase three-T or D?  
  
"What's 'T or D?' mean?"  
  
"You mean you don't know?" Raven inquired.  
  
"No." said Ron, feeling exceedingly stupid.  
  
"'T or D?'," Raven explained, "is an abbreviation for   
'Truth or Dare'. We can get them to confess and do   
a lot with that little game!"  
  
Ron groaned and turned his attention back to the paper.  
  
Phase four-room  
  
Ron looked up at Raven quizzically.  
  
"Phase four is where we lock them in a room together for   
a couple of hours. Let them have another one of those   
\heart-to-hearts. As for the rest..."  
  
Ron looked at the paper:  
  
Phases five, six, seven, ect.-?  
  
"...I haven't figured those out yet but I'll work on those   
later. Right now we need to put the first four phases into action."  
  
Ron sighed and looked at the clock. "We'll work on them in the   
morning. It's getting late and we're going to Diagon Alley   
tomarrow to get our school stuff."  
  
"Oh that's right!" Raven said excitedly, "I forgot about that!   
That's perfect! We'll get some of the things we'll need there!"  
  
"What do you mean 'some of the things we'll need'?" Ron asked   
suspiciously, "If you think that I'm spending any of my money on   
any of your stupid-"  
  
"I'll pay for the stuff!" Raven shouted, cutting him off.  
  
"Good." muttered Ron, turning to go.  
  
"Wait a minute!" Raven said, stopping him, "I just remembered   
something. Your not going to tell Harry what we're up to, are you?"  
  
"Are you kidding me?!" Ron asked, "If Harry knew I was meddling in   
his love life he'd kill me!"  
  
"Good!" Raven said, relieved, "And remember, if you don't help me   
with this, I'll tell everyone about your crush on Hermione!"  
  
"I know, I know!" Ron shouted, running up the stairs to his room.  
  
Raven grinned as she cleared the empty glasses from the table and   
deposited them in the sink, before heading back up to Ginny's room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I thought you were only going down for a glass of water." Ginny said,   
when Raven entered the room, "You must've drank an awful lot of water   
to be down there that long."  
  
"Oh," said Raven casually, "your brother was down there and we had an   
interesting little...chat."  
______________________________________________________________  
A/N: Well, that's it for part two! Is Raven evil or what? Part three coming soon!  
~Serena-chan~  
  
  
  



	3. Shopping

"Raven: The Professional Troublemaker"  
by: Serena-chan  
  
  
A/N: Okay! Part three is here!!!  
___________________________________________________  
  
"Now I want you all to be on your best behaviour," Mrs. Weasly   
nagged, "especially you two!" She added after seeing Fred and   
George's grins.  
  
Harry, Ron, Ginny, Raven, Mrs. Weasly, and Fred and George   
were all in Diagon Alley to buy supplies for school which would be   
starting next week.   
  
Mrs. Weasly took Ginny and Raven off for their supplies while   
Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all went off for theirs. Things were   
going very smoothly and Ron had almost forgotten about Raven's   
shopping plans until...  
  
"Just one more stop to make!" George anounced.  
  
"Yeah," said Fred giving Ron an uneasy look, "Harry, can we talk   
to you alone for a minute?"  
  
Ron sat down on a bench, confused and watched Fred and George   
pull Harry out of earshot.   
  
"Remember all that money you gave us for the joke shop last   
year?" George began, "You made us promise to get Ron a new set   
of dress robes?"  
  
"Yeah." said Harry.  
  
"Well, we figured that you'd like to help us pick them out." said   
Fred, "We'll have to figure out some way to ditch Ron though."  
  
"Hello, Harry! Hey, Fred! Hey, George!" said Raven coming from   
around a corner, "Have any of you seen Ron? He promised he'd   
help me do some shopping."  
  
"He's right over there." said Harry, pointing, "Listen Raven, we're  
buying something for Ron as a surprise so could you keep him busy   
for us?"  
  
"Of course!" said Raven, grinning broadly.  
  
"Thanks!" Harry, Fred, and George said together as they ran off   
in the direction of 'Madam Malkin's.'  
  
"Hello, Ron!" Raven said brightly, "Are you ready for our little   
shopping trip?!"  
  
"Oh, no!" Ron groaned, but followed Raven through the croud of   
people toward a little charm shop.  
  
"What are we doing in here?" Ron questioned.  
  
"Looking for anything that might be of use!" said Raven, "Now   
stop yapping and start looking."   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
That evening, Raven and Ron were out in the garden hiding behind   
a rose bush and looking at their purchases.  
  
"Right," said Raven, "we have: Love Dust, an Atraction charm, all   
the ingredients to make a bravery potion, and some Truth Powder.   
This should be enough to last us for awhile!"  
  
"I don't get it." Ron conplained, "Why'd you bother getting the   
Truth Powder and the stuff for the bravery potion?"  
  
"Because, Dummy," said Raven in exasperation, "The bravery potion   
will give them the courage to admit their feelings for each other   
and the truth powder will make sure that they tell each other the   
truth!"  
  
"Oh." mumbled Ron.  
  
"Now, meet right here at 8:00 tomarrow morning. Don't be late.   
Good night!" Raven got up to go.  
  
"Wait!" Ron stopped her, "What are we going to do?"  
  
"I said: Good night!" with that, Raven dashed out of the garden   
and into the house.   



	4. Monday

Raven: The Professional Troublemaker  
  
by: Serena-chan  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Well, I (finally!) got around to updating this! Hope ya'll like it!  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
The next morning, Ron walked with heavy feet to the bush where Raven had told him to meet her. He found her sitting behind it with her arms crossed and a scowl upon her face.  
  
"You are late." She said, venomously.  
  
"Are not!" he said defensively.  
  
"I told you to be here at 8:00 sharp." She snapped, glancing down at her watch. "It is now precisely 8:02 and thirty seconds."  
  
"Oh, heaven forbid that I should be a whole two minutes late!" Said Ron, rolling his eyes and sitting down beside her.  
  
"Two minutes and thirty seconds!"  
  
"Whatever." said Ron, getting impatient, "Look, how long is this going to take because I haven't even eaten breakfast yet."  
  
"Here." Raven tossed him an apple from inside the bag she was carrying. "Now, today's Monday. We have exactly seven days to get them together. The bravery potion has to boil for five days so we'll have to time this just right. Now, today we'll get the potion started and work on phase one, which is making Harry trip. Tomorrow, we'll add the last of the ingredients to the potion, set it to a boil and go for phase two. Wednesday, your parents are going out for the evening, Percy will be away on a business trip, and the twins will be staying over at Lee Jordan's house. So, we'll have the whole place to ourselves. That will be perfect for phase three: truth or dare."  
  
"You've got this all planned out haven't you?" Asked Ron, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well," said Raven, striking a dramatic pose, "I am a professional after all."  
  
"Professional at what? Causing trouble?"  
  
"No you stupid git!" Said Raven indignantly, "Getting people together!" She got up and dusted herself off, "Now come on. We have work to do."  
  
"I was afraid of that." Muttered Ron under his breath as he got up to follow her.  
  
They got Ron's potions kettle and hauled it out into the woods. Since they couldn't use magic to start the fire, Ron brought some of his dads muggle matches.  
  
"You go and check on Harry and Ginny." Raven said, measuring out the ingredients, "Find out what they're doing. I'll be the one to make the potion. You might mess it up."  
  
Ron opened his mouth indignantly to tell her off (after all, he had been going to Hogwarts for a year longer than her), but closed it again. After all, this was her idea anyway, and she had some serious blackmail on him. Sighing, he trudged back up through the woods to the house.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Just as Raven was adding the last of the dragonfly wings to the potion, Ron came puffing back through the woods. He paused for a moment to catch his breath before telling her that Harry was just waking up, and Ginny was in the bathroom.  
  
"Excellent!" Raven cried, clapping her hands together excitedly, "We've got to hurry if we want to plan this right."  
  
Grabbing his hand, she raced through the woods pulling Ron behind her. She stopped just as they reached the Weasley's front door, finally releasing her death grip on Ron's hand. She held a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet. Slowly, she opened the door and crept inside. Ron, massaging his aching hand, followed and softly shut the door behind him. She led him to the base of the stairs, and then pulled several objects out of her pocket.  
  
"Here," she said, handing him a smooth round stone. It was just a little smaller than a peach and was a soft caramel color. When he looked closely at it, however, he could see that in the center of the stone a silvery magic sparkled faintly.  
  
"What is it?" Ron asked, turning it over in his hands.  
  
"It's an invisibility stone," she answered simply. "They're very rare, even more rare than invisibility cloaks but much more effective."  
  
"If they're so rare then how did you get them?" Ron questioned.  
  
"That's my secret," Raven said winking at him. "Let's just say that I know some people."  
  
"Never mind," said Ron, "I don't even want to know. So, how do we work these things?"  
  
"You just hold the stone in the palm of your hand and concentrate really hard." she explained, "Once your invisible, you'll also be able to see anything else that's invisible. Which will help us with our next item that we'll be using."  
  
Raven held out a small box with the words "Invisible Thread" written on it. She opened the box and felt inside it, then drew her hand out. She ran her fingers down something Ron couldn't see.  
  
"Now, here's the plan: You call out to Harry and he'll come down the stairs. We will be waiting with the thread stretched out so that he'll trip and fall down the stairs. Ginny, will hear the noise and come out to help him. Any questions?"  
  
"I don't like the idea of Harry falling down the stairs." Said Ron, "That's a little too dangerous for my tastes. He might break his neck."  
  
"Alright, but we'll do it close to the stairs." Raven consented. "Now try out the stone, and make sure you know how to use it properly."  
  
He watched Raven take the stone in her hands and close her eyes. A moment later, she popped out of site. Ron took his own stone and tried to copy her movements. He thought very hard about being invisible, about the feeling he got under Harry's invisibility cloak.  
  
After a few seconds, he felt a tingling running all through his body. Then, he felt an incredible release, as though he were floating on air. He opened his eyes. He could see Raven again, holding her stone and looking impatient. He could also see a brown rope in Raven's other hand.  
  
"If you're quite finished gawking," glared Raven, "I think we should get to work."  
  
"If I have to," grumbled Ron. Stepping quietly, he followed Raven up the stairs. Positioning themselves on either side of the landing with the rope stretched between them, Ron called, "Harry! Can you come here for a minute!"  
  
"Coming," Harry's voice called from Ron's room. A minute later, Harry stepped out, still in his pajamas.  
  
Ron suddenly felt a big pang of guilt. Harry was his best friend in the entire world, and he was about to trip him. It wasn't like he was about to really hurt him or anything, but it still felt. . . wrong. Harry was coming nearer. Ron knew that if he messed this up, Raven would tell Hermione. He couldn't let that happen. If Hermione knew, she would never speak to him again. He couldn't take that.  
  
So, feeling extremely guilty, Ron tightened his grip on the rope. He closed his eyes. He couldn't watch. Seconds later, he felt pressure on the string in his hand and heard Harry yelp in surprise. Then a thud. Hesitantly, Ron opened one eye, then the other.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Ginny was just getting ready to brush her teeth when she heard a yelp and a thud just outside the bathroom door. She opened the door, toothbrush still in hand, to see Harry, clad in deep blue pajamas, sprawled on the floor. Momentarily forgetting her shyness in concern, she raced over to him.  
  
"Oh, Harry!" She cried, "Are you alright?"  
  
Harry looked up to see Ginny rushing toward him wearing a slightly worn pink nightdress. She had a toothbrush in one hand, and the other was reaching out to help him up, a concerned look etched into her face.  
  
"I'm alright," he answered, taking her hand and allowing her to pull him to his feet. "I guess I just tripped on something."  
  
"Oh dear!" Cried Ginny, "You're not alright! You've bloodied your nose."  
  
Harry reached up a hand and felt something warm and wet on his nose. Pulling his hand away he saw that Ginny was right.  
  
"Here, let me help you get cleaned up," Ginny offered, pulling him into the bathroom.  
  
"Y-you don't have to. Really." Harry mumbled, embarrassed.  
  
Ginny paid no attention to his stutters. Tossing her toothbrush aside, she sat him down on the edge of the bathtub and retrieved a cool, damp cloth from the sink. She began to gently wipe the blood from Harry's face in a very motherly like fashion.  
  
Harry watched her as she did this. Her hair was still slightly rumpled from sleep, and little bits of it kept falling into her face in a way that was very becoming. Her beautiful caramel eyes held a look of concern. That warm, fuzzy feeling he got when he looked at her began to rise in his chest, his heart beating quicker than usual.  
  
Ginny had now finished her cleaning and was patting his face dry with a towel. "You're sure you're alright?" She asked, reaching up and letting her hand brush his face momentarily.  
  
Harry felt a blush rise unbidden to his cheeks. "Yeah. I'm fine," he said, standing up. "Thanks a lot for your help."  
  
"You're welcome," she murmured, flushing a light shade of pink and looking at the floor.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"Phase one complete!" Raven giggled happily as she popped back into view and pocketed the stone and invisible rope.  
  
Ron also released the stone's invisible hold and handed it back to Raven. He remembered the horrible pang of guilt he had receive when he'd realized that they'd actually bloodied Harry's nose. Feeling very ashamed and very angry with Raven, Ron muttered a, "Yeah, whatever," and turned to go up to his room.  
  
"Remember," Raven called after him, "meet me in the woods at 11:00 am tomorrow morning for phase two!"  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
A/N: Well, that's it for part 4! I'll have part 5 out a.s.a.p.!! 


	5. Tuesday

Raven: The Professional Troublemaker  
  
By: Serena-chan  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: New chapter finally up!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
Ron awoke quite late on Tuesday morning. He had not been able to look Harry in the face all day yesterday, and he had sat up all night worrying about Raven's next phase.  
  
Sitting up, he discovered that his room was deserted. Glancing at the clock, he realized just how late it was. 10:45! Raven was going to kill him if he was late two days in a row. Ron stumbled out of his room. On the way to the bathroom, he ran into Fred, George, and Lee Jordan coming up the stairs.  
  
"Hullo, Lee," Ron greeted him. "When did you get here?"  
  
"Just a few minutes ago," Lee responded.  
  
"Lee's going to help us with one of our latest developments," Fred said, grinning wickedly. The twins and Lee retreated to the bedroom while Ron made himself busy in the bathroom.  
  
Ten minutes later, Ron dashed out of the bathroom and raced down the hall toward the stairs. Just as he was passing the twins' room, he felt a tiny pang of some small object hitting him in the back of the neck. Instantly, he began to feel tingly all over, and the next thing he knew, his skin had turned purple.  
  
Fred, George, and Lee burst out of the twins' room howling with laughter. Ron, realizing he was the victim of, yet another, one of their experiments, stood there, trying too look indignant. (Which is a very difficult thing to do when you've been turned purple.) As soon as they'd gotten their breath back, George explained.  
  
"It's our latest invention," he said. "Mood detectors."  
  
"All you have to do," said Fred, holding up a bag of tiny grey stones and a small blowgun, "is blow one of these pellets at your victim. When it hits them, that person will turn a color depending on what their mood was when the pellet hit them."  
  
"See, we've got it all worked out," Lee proudly displayed a list. Ron read:  
  
  
  
Mood Colors:  
  
  
  
red - angry  
  
  
  
pink - in love  
  
  
  
purple - worried  
  
  
  
blue - sad  
  
  
  
yellow - happy  
  
  
  
green - not feeling well  
  
  
  
orange - embarrassed  
  
"According to this," Lee said, examining the sheet in his hand, "you're worried about something."  
  
"Yeah," George questioned, "what were you in such a hurry for anyway?"  
  
"I'll tell you later," Ron said impatiently, "but right now could you please return me to my normal color?!"  
  
"Calm down," George said. "It wears off in 60 seconds anyway. Now, to find someone else to test this on. . ."  
  
"Right," muttered Ron, angrily. Dashing down the stairs, and praying no one saw him with purple skin, Ron raced out of the house and into the woods.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
He ran into the clearing to find Raven angrily stirring in the last ingredients to the bravery potion. Glancing at his watch, he winced. Fifteen minutes late. (Although, luckily his skin was back to its normal color.)  
  
Raven whirled around when she heard him approaching. She opened her mouth to scream at him, but Ron interrupted her. "I know I'm late! But I have a very good reason this time, I swear!" Ron explained about mood detectors.  
  
"Hmmmm," Raven said when he was finished. "We could probably use their discovery to our advantage." She then thought about what Ron had just told her again and frowned. "You didn't tell me Lee Jordan was coming over."  
  
"I guess I forgot," Ron said. "He's staying over tonight, and then the twin are going to his house tomorrow night to stay over."  
  
"Let's just hope this doesn't complicate matters," Raven said, grabbing Ron by the arm and leading him out of the woods. "Now, today is phase two. That means we have to get them to have what Ginny would call a 'meaningful conversation.'"  
  
"How are we going to that?"  
  
Raven didn't answer, but proceeded to drag him up to the house. Peeking around the side of the house, she said, "Good, Ginny's in the garden. That's the perfect place! Now, where's Harry?" Ron shrugged, and Raven gave an exasperated sigh before pulling him into the house.  
  
They found Harry sitting alone in the kitchen. He was sipping a mug of tea, and watching Ginny from an open window with a rather mesmerized look on his face. Raven entered the kitchen, and Ron started to follow, but Raven shoved him rather roughly out of site.  
  
Harry looked up and saw her as she walked over and sat down in a chair beside him. "Hello, Raven," he said. "You haven't seen Ron this morning, have you?"  
  
"No, I haven't seen him at all this morning." She said this with a slight edge to her voice which told Ron that he'd get it if he dared to show his face. With a soft sigh, Ron knelt beside the kitchen door to listen. "Harry," Raven continued, "have you seen Ginny?"  
  
Harry flushed and pointed out the window to Ginny sitting in the garden. "She's been out there for about an hour, now."  
  
"Oh, so she is!" Raven said, pretending to spot Ginny for the first time. She then furrowed her brow as though worried about something. "Harry, have you noticed Ginny acting strangely these past few days?"  
  
"No," Harry said, thinking. "Not that I can recall."  
  
"Well. . . I'm not sure I should be telling you this," Raven said, trying to make herself look guilty. "but there's something that she's terribly worried about, and I'm afraid that it's going to affect her health!"  
  
"What is it," Harry asked, his face instantly worried. "Is there anything I can do?"  
  
"Actually, that's why I came to you," Raven went on, her voice high with false concern. "Ever since the last Tri Wizard challenge she's been so worried about you, what with You-Know-Who back and all. She spends all her time worrying about you!"  
  
"She does?" Asked Harry. "Well, what do you want me to do?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking that maybe you could just go and talk to her. Spend a little time with her to show her that you're all right."  
  
"I-I suppose I could do that," Harry said.  
  
"Why don't you go now?" Raven suggested, "Since you can't find Ron, and Ginny's out there all by herself, this is the perfect time."  
  
"Alright," Harry stood, looking very unsure of himself, and headed toward the back door.  
  
"Oh, and Harry," Raven said, putting on her 'worried-friend' look once more. "Could you please not mention our little chat to Ginny? She'll be ever so mad if she knows that I told you!"  
  
"I won't mention it," Harry said, shutting the door behind him.  
  
Once Harry was safely out of hearing range, Raven sank into a chair laughing loudly. Ron emerged from his hiding place scowling at her. "You're impossible!" Ron said, "I've never heard anyone tell that many lies in one sitting in my life. Except of course maybe Malfoy."  
  
Raven stopped laughing, "Well, it wasn't exactly a lie. Ginny has been worrying about Harry a lot since the end of last year. I just exaggerated it a little, that's all." Before Ron could reply, Raven hopped out of her chair and dragged him over to the open window. "Now, we'll just use a little of this to 'romanticize the atmosphere.'" Giggling, Raven stuck her hand in her pocket and emerged with a handful of shimmering pink dust.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's some of that love dust we bought," Raven explained. "When it's blown onto you, you fall in love with the first person you see."  
  
"Shouldn't we just let them handle this themselves?" Ron asked exasperatedly. Raven glared at him and raised her palm of glittery dust to her lips to blow.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"I don't know where everyone has got to!" Fred said irritatedly, "We've got to find someone else to test this on." The twins and Lee were walking around the Weasley's yard in search of their next victim.  
  
"Hey, isn't that Harry and Ginny over there in the garden?" Lee said, pointing.  
  
"Why so it is!" George said happily, "Come on. We'll sneak up on them."  
  
They crouched low behind the flowers and crawled under the kitchen window to where they could get a better view. George raised the blowgun to his lips and stood up to take aim. At the same moment, Raven blew the dust from her hand. It hit George full in the back of the head.  
  
"Oh, dear!" Raven squealed. "That wasn't supposed to happen!"  
  
George collapsed from the impact of so much magic being poured on him at once. Fred and Lee rushed over to their friend/brother.  
  
"Are you alright, George?" Lee asked, holding out a hand. George took it and allowed Lee to help him up before looking him strait in the face.  
  
"Oh, no!" Ron groaned from inside the house. He pulled Raven quickly out of view. "Now what's going to happen?!"  
  
"Well," Raven said uneasily, "if the instructions on the package are true, then George should fall in love with Lee."  
  
"What?!" Ron bellowed, outraged. "There is a cure, isn't there?"  
  
"I don't know! I left the directions upstairs. Maybe it'll tell the antidote." Raven and Ron raced up the stairs to Ginny's room.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"George, are you alright?" Lee repeated. George continued to stare at Lee's face.  
  
"I love you," George said.  
  
"What?!" Lee shouted, "Stop kidding, George. This isn't funny."  
  
"I'm not kidding. I love you."  
  
"Maybe he hit his head when he fell." Fred said waving a hand in front of his twin's staring eyes.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Out in the garden, Harry nervously approached Ginny. She was sitting, on a stone bench, sketch pad in her lap, and staring intently at the drawing before her. She was so lost in her own world that she didn't even notice Harry walk up.  
  
"Hello, Ginny," he said softly.  
  
Ginny looked up, startled, and blushed when she saw who it was. "Oh, hello, Harry."  
  
"Mind if I sit down?" She shook her head, and he sat down next to her on the bench. Oh, dear! he thought to himself. What am I supposed to do now?! I'm not even really sure what I'm supposed to be talking to her about. He glanced around franticly for a moment, searching for a topic of conversation. His eyes landed on her sketchbook. "What are you drawing?"  
  
Ginny shyly held the book out to him. She had been sketching the daffodils that were sitting just opposite them in the garden. "This is really good!" Harry said, surprised. He'd always know Ginny was a good artist, but he'd never really know how good she was. The flowers on the page before him looked as though they were real.  
  
"What other things do you draw?"  
  
"Oh, people mostly," she said. "Although it's hard getting anyone to sit still long enough to finish. I have all these half done sketches of people because they never will stay in one place." There was a moment of silence before Ginny asked, "Do you draw?"  
  
"I've tried a couple times, but I'm not very good at it," Harry said. "Not like you are."  
  
"Nonsense," Ginny said. "All it takes is a little practice, like Quiditch."  
  
"I suppose you're right," Harry said. He began to say something else, but his scare chose that cursed moment to hurt. It was a searing, burning pain that shot strait down his scar and spread across his forehead. He gave a small gasp of pain, and fell to his knees, his hands clasped to his forehead.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Upstairs in Ginny's room, Raven searched fraticly for the slip of instructions that had come with the love dust. Ron was peering out the window, watching as George tried to kiss Lee, and Fred tried to drag George away from him. "Hurry up, Raven! You've got to find it before something really bad happens!"  
  
"I'm looking!" She said, "I'm just not sure where I put it." She spotted a slip of paper lying on the dresser. "Here it is!" She scanned the page quickly. "All you have to do is say 'So mote it be,' and the love dust will be deactivated."  
  
"Well, come on then!" Ron said, rushing down the stairs.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"George, I'm serious! This isn't funny anymore," Lee said, backing away from his friend.  
  
"But I love you!"  
  
"George, may I have a word with you please?" Fred said, taking him by the arm and dragging him over by the kitchen window to where Lee couldn't hear them. "What is going on with you?"  
  
"I'm serious," George replied, looking his brother in the eye, "I love him."  
  
"Since when?!" Fred almost shouted.  
  
"I'm not sure. I just came over me all of the sudden."  
  
Ron and Raven crept up to the kitchen window. "So mote it be!" Raven whispered.  
  
"I was just standing there, and then. . .I. . ." A sort of dazed look came over George's face. He shook his head a couple of times, "What was I just saying?" Ron and Raven sank to their knees with relief as Fred gave his twin a strange look.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"Oh, Harry!" Ginny cried, collapsing to her knees beside him, sending her sketchbook flying. "Are you alright."  
  
"I should be fine in a minute," Harry said through clenched teeth, his face scrunched up in pain. "It does this all the time off and on since Voldemort came back. The pain never lasts more than five minutes." He tried to stand up, but the burning hot pain forced him back to his knees. It was much worse this time than it had ever been before.  
  
Ginny was on the verge of tears now. It tore her heart in half to see Harry in so much pain. She wanted to do something, anything to take the pain away from him.  
  
Through the red haze that had surrounded him, Harry felt Ginny gently removing his hands from his head. She brushed back the unruly black hair, exposing his scar. She ran gentle fingers across his forehead. Her fingers felt cool and soothing against his hot flesh. He shivered as she ran a finger down his scar. The pain lessened some.  
  
"That feels nice," he whispered softly as she continued to caress him with her gentle touch. Ginny furrowed her brow, trying to decide if she had enough courage to go through with what she wanted to do. Slowly, she leaned forward and tenderly brushed her lips against his scar.  
  
The moment he felt her lips against him, Harry felt all the pain leave him. It was replaced by a warm, loving feeling that raced through his whole body. The red haze lifted, and he looked up at Ginny to see that she was crying.  
  
"Shhhh. Ginny don't cry," Harry said, pulling her into his lap. "It's stopped hurting now. You made the pain go away."  
  
"I didn't do anything," Ginny said softly, as Harry brushed the tears from her cheeks.  
  
"Yes, you did. The pain went right away, the moment you. . ." Harry could feel himself blushing from head to toe, "the moment you kissed me. Thank you, Ginny."  
  
"Your welcome," she said, blushing just as red as him.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"Phase two complete!" Raven sighed happily, watching Ginny and Harry from the clump of tulips that she and Ron were hiding in. "I can hardly wait for tomorrow! Truth or dare, here we come!" Ron groaned and headed back toward the house.  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
A/N: Once again, sorry these chapters are being posted so far apart but I'm having some serious writer's block concerning this story. Please review and tell me if you think I should drag out Harry and Ginny getting together for a long period of time, or make them get together more quickly. I'm really not sure which direction to take here. Thanx! ~Serena-chan~ 


	6. Wednesday

Raven: The Professional Troublemaker by: Serena-chan  
  
  
  
  
  
It was Wednesday night in the Weasley home. Harry was sitting by the fire, staring into it, not thinking of anything in perticular. Ginny was sprawled out on the floor, sketchbook in front of her, try to hide the fact that it was Harry she was drawing. Raven was stretched out calmly on the sofa reading, while Ron paced like a caged lion.  
  
Percy had left earlier that morning on a "strictly confidential business matter." Fred and George had gone over to Lee Jordan's house that afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had just left to visit some of their friends who lived in London. They had explained, just before they left, that they didn't expect to be home until very late that night. The look Raven had given him when she'd heard this, was making him horribly nervous. He continued to pace, every now and again looking back at Raven who was making the situation worse by winking at him every so often.  
  
"I-It's getting pretty late, isn't it?" He asked hopefully, "Perhaps we should all just go to bed."  
  
"It's only eight o'clock Ron," Ginny said, giving him a strange look.  
  
"But nice try," Raven mouthed over her book. Glancing at the clock, she placed her book on the table and stood up. "I think I'll go into the kitchen and make us all some nice cocoa. Why don't you come and help me, Ron?"  
  
Sighing as though resigning to his fate, Ron followed her into the kitchen. The moment he had entered, she shut the door quickly behind him.  
  
"Ready for our little game tonight?" She asked mischievously.  
  
"As ready as I'm ever going to be, I suppose." Ron sat down gloomily in a chair, and watched Raven prepare the cocoa. "I hate truth or dare. It's just some stupid game that embarrasses you in front of everyone."  
  
"Oh, don't be silly," Raven said, ladling the cocoa out into teacups. "You'll have lots of fun once we get started. Anyway, the point isn't to embarrass you. The point is to get Harry and Ginny to confess how they feel about each other."  
  
"I guess," Ron said. He watched as Raven took a small bottle out of her pocket. She poured a silvery blue powder out of it into her hands and added a bit to each glass. "What's that you putting in the cocoa?" Ron asked suspiciously.  
  
"It's a bit of that truth powder we bought," Raven explained. "To make sure that everyone tells the truth."  
  
"Well don't expect me to drink any!" Ron said angrily.  
  
"Don't be silly! Of course you're going to drink some. The whole point of the truth part is to tell the truth! Besides, I'm going to drink some. See?" She took a dainty sip out of one of the cups, "We're in this together."  
  
"I still say I'm not drinking any."  
  
"Fine, be that way. Just come on!" Raven put the cups on a tray and went out into the sitting room. Ron followed grumbling. Raven distributed the cups and sat down once more on the sofa. Ron just set his cup aside. There was no way she was going to get him to drink a single drop!  
  
"I have an idea," Raven announced. "Let's play a game."  
  
"That sounds like a good idea," said Harry looking up. "There's really nothing to do right now." Ginny nodded in agreement and put away her sketchbook.  
  
"How about chess?" Ron put in hopefully.  
  
"No," groaned Ginny. "You always want to play chess. Let's play something different for a change."  
  
"My thoughts exactly," said Rave, grinning at Ron. "Let's play truth or dare!"  
  
"I don't know," Harry said looking uneasy.  
  
"Harry's right. I don't think that's such a good id-Ouch!" Ron was cut off by Raven elbowing him sharply in the ribs.  
  
"Come on, everybody. Sit in a circle over here." Raven plopped down next to Ginny, dragging Ron with her. Harry joined them rather reluctantly.  
  
"I'll ask first," Raven said happily, "Ron, truth or dare?"  
  
"Why do you have to pick on me first?!" Ron said, outraged.  
  
"Come on, Ron," Harry said, "be a good sport."  
  
"Fine. . .dare!" Ron shouted, not wanting to seem like a sissy.  
  
"Alright," Raven had the look of a lion that had just cornered its prey. "I dare you to taste that cocoa, and tell me what you think of it."  
  
Ron sat there, opening and closing his mouth like a fish for a moment. "I won't do it!"  
  
"Come on Ron," Ginny coaxed, "It's just a little cocoa."  
  
Glaring daggers at Raven, Ron raised the glass to his lips and took a small sip. "It's pretty good actually," he said, then frowned. The truth powder must be kicking in already. He'd meant to make some mean remark about it.  
  
"Ron," Raven nudged him, "it's your turn."  
  
"Oh, right," he said. "Ginny, truth or dare?"  
  
"Truth," Ginny answered quickly, ignoring Raven who was giving her an exasperated look.  
  
"Uh..." Ron stopped to think, "Oh, I dunno. I'm no good at this game." Raven elbowed Ron painfully in the ribs.  
  
"Remember the point of our playing this game?" She hissed out of the corner of her mouth.  
  
"Okay, um....Ginny, who do you have a crush on?" He shot a look at Raven who nodded approvingly.  
  
"No one," Ginny said quickly. Ron and Raven shot each other a surprised glance. Ginny had already finished her cocoa. Surely the truth powder was working by now.  
  
"Are you sure there's no one you have a crush on?" Raven asked, leaning in and giving her an analyzing look.  
  
"N-no one," Ginny mumbled, blushing.  
  
"Alright, if you're sure," Ron said, shooting Raven another look.  
  
"Raven, truth or dare?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Dare!" Raven shouted.  
  
"Hmmm...I dare you to tell Neville that you love him when we get back to school."  
  
"Nooo!" Groaned Raven, "Ginny, you're mean!" Ginny giggled, and Ron shot his sister a proud look. Finally Raven was getting a little of her own medicine.  
  
"Fine, but now it's my turn." Raven looked around the circle and got an incredibly evil look in her eyes. "Harry, truth or dare?"  
  
"Dare," he said, after considering it a moment.  
  
"I dare you to kiss Ginny!"  
  
"What?!" Harry and Ginny both shouted together.  
  
"I-I can't kiss Ginny, " Harry stammered.  
  
"Why not? It's just a game," asked Raven.  
  
"B-but," Ginny started.  
  
"No buts!" Raven said firmly, "you have to take the dare. That's the rule."  
  
Harry stood up shakily and pulled Ginny to her feet. Ron buried his head in his hands knowing how embarrassed his best friend and his sister must be feeling. Harry leaned closer to Ginny looking absolutely petrified. Ginny was trembling.  
  
About an inch from kissing her, Harry suddenly pulled away. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I just can't do this!" He ran through the kitchen and out into the garden.  
  
"Harry!" Ginny screamed, racing after him.  
  
Ron turned to Raven, "Well now you've done it!" He screamed, "You're impossible! We'll never get them together now."  
  
"Calm down," said Raven, gathering up the empty cups. "This is just a minor set-back." Ron sighed and took a few deep breaths to calm himself before following her into the kitchen. "Still," Raven was saying, "I wonder why the truth powder didn't work?"  
  
"That was strange," Ron admitted, "Are you sure you put truth powder in all the cups?"  
  
"Of course I did! I even put a little extra in Harry's and Ginny's."  
  
Ron sighed, "I'm going to bed."  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
Harry raced out into the garden. His heart was pounding a million miles per second, and he felt like his face was on fire. He had never felt so embarrassed in his whole life! Ginny must think that he despised her. How could he be so stupid?!  
  
He sank onto a bench and took in the beautiful, moonlit garden. What was he going to do? He felt tears of anger burn his eyes, but he refused to let himself cry.  
  
"Harry?" Harry turned around, startled. Ginny stood beside him, looking unsure. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine," he whispered, looking down at his feet. He felt Ginny sit next to him on the bench.  
  
"No, your not," Ginny said, placing her fingers under his chin and lifting his head a bit. He still wouldn't look at her. "What's wrong?"  
  
"You must hate me now," he said softly.  
  
"Why on earth would I hate you?" Ginny asked, surprised.  
  
Harry looked up at her, "Because I didn't...well, you know."  
  
"Oh, that," Ginny said, laughing nervously. "That was just one of Raven's jokes. It's alright if you didn't want to kiss me."  
  
"But I did want to."  
  
"What?" Ginny asked, thinking she heard wrong.  
  
Harry looked down at his lap, blushing bright red. "I-I mean...Someday I want to kiss you, but not just yet. If you don't mind."  
  
Ginny felt her heart skip a beat. "I'd like that," she said softly. "I don't mind waiting at all."  
  
Harry looked at her and gave her a shy smile. "Would you like to take a walk?"  
  
Ginny nodded, and they set off through the garden, with only the moon and stars to light their way. They didn't hold hands, but they walked close enough that their fingertips brushed.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
About an hour later, Ginny skipped happily into her room, humming to herself. She found Raven sitting on her bed with her arms crossed.  
  
"You lied," Raven said, glaring at her.  
  
"What?" Ginny asked confused.  
  
"You lied during truth or dare," Raven said getting up off the bed, "when you said that you didn't have a crush on Harry."  
  
"But I didn't lie," Ginny said, smiling. "I don't have a crush on him. I love him." Raven heaved an exasperated sigh and flopped down on the bed. 


	7. Thursday

Raven: The Professional Troublemaker by: Serena-chan  
  
A/N: Bet you all thought I was gone for good! Well, after suffering from a long bout of depression, and a severe case of writer's block, I think I'm finally ready to continue on with my fanfics. ______________________________________________________________ Part 7: Thursday  
  
Ron sat at the kitchen table, munching on some cereal, and trying very hard to stay awake. He hadn't slept at all last night. He had been worrying far too much about the whole Ginny/Harry ordeal. Really, this whole thing was going way too far. He should just tell Raven that he quit. . .  
  
"GOOD MORNING!!" Raven sang loudly in his ear, making his jump. Ron simply grumbled in reply. Raven plopped herself down chearfully into a chair next to him. "You look terrible," Raven told him bluntly. "Didn't you sleep last night?"  
  
"No, I was up all night trying to figure out a way of telling you that I quit!"  
  
"Don't be silly," Raven said, helping herself to an orange and a piece of toast. "You can't quit now. We've almost got them together."  
  
"No, we don't," Ron argued. "Maybe Ginny's past this silly crush on Harry. Remember last night when you put the truth powder in Ginny's cup? She said she didn't have a crush on anyone."  
  
"She doesn't," Raven said. "I talked to her last night."  
  
"Then why are we still doing this?!" Ron was getting very frustrated by this point.  
  
"Because, dummy, there are other forms of attraction besides just a silly little crush."  
  
Ron stopped and thought a moment. "You're not telling me that she's actually in love with Harry?" When Raven simply nodded, Ron swallowed hard and said, "You're joking, right? It can't possibly be that serious?"  
  
"Of course it is! That's why we've got to help them. Now finish your breakfast or we'll be late for phase four." With that, Raven got up and stalked from the room, leaving Ron with his own thoughts.  
  
Maybe she is onto something, he pondered. After all, if Ginny really is in love with Harry, and he's in love with her, then they should be happy, right? Still, I'm not sure if I like this whole "matchmaker" business. . . but if I don't do what she says, she could tell Hermione about my feelings for her. I can't let that happen!  
  
Jumping up from his seat, Ron dashed out into the living room where Raven sat waiting. "Took you long enough," she grumbled. "Now, today is phase four. That means that we have to lock them in a room for awhile to try and get them to chat some more. What room do you suggest we use?"  
  
"Umm. . ." Ron thought for a moment. "Why don't we use the shed out back. That's where we keep all the brooms. Harry usually goes down there once a day to clean his Firebolt, and Ginny goes down there all the time because she has a few flowers she keeps in there."  
  
"Perfect!" Raven clapped, "Why, Ron, if I didn't know better, I'd say that you're getting good at this."  
  
Turning, Raven left via the back door. Ron, grumbling angrily due to Raven's last comment, followed.  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
That afternoon, Harry was sitting on a turned over crate in the Weasley's shed cleaning his broom. He whiped at the handle distractedly looking at the cluttered walls around him.  
  
The shed was rather small, but it certainly held a lot. Shelves lined the walls on either side. They were full of different gardening tools and bags of bird seed. Here and there Harry could make out some muggle object peaking through the clutter. He smiled to himself. Mr. Weasley's garage (where he kept most of his muggle contraptions) must be getting a little full.  
  
In the corner, were Fred and George's brooms. There was only one window in the shed. It was located on the back wall. Under it, there was a small bench. Harry would have been sitting there, but the bench was lined with pots of different kinds of roses.  
  
At that moment, Ginny entered the shed carrying a watering can. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, startled to realize she wasn't alone. "I didn't know anyone was in here. I'll leave."  
  
"No, don't," Harry said quickly, "I could use the company."  
  
"Alright," Ginny blushed. "I just came in here to water my roses."  
  
"Are these yours?" Asked Harry, "Well, they're very beautiful." But you're even more beautiful, he added silently.  
  
Ginny merely smiled and began to tend to her flowers. Harry stared at her as she worked. She really was beautiful. Her red hair was pulled messily into a ponytail, and her exposure to the bright summer sun had caused even more freckles to spred themselves across her cheeks.  
  
Suddenly, the door to the shed slammed loudly shut, causing both of them to jump. "The wind must have blown it shut," Harry said after a moment of silence. He put his Firebolt down and went to door. "It's locked," he said in surprise, tugging hard at the handle.  
  
"Oh, no!" Cried Ginny, panicking, "What are we going to do?"  
  
"Well, I guess we're stuck in here," Harry said, trying to stay calm. (A/N: They can't use their magic to get out because they're not allowed to do magic during summer vacation. How terribly convenient. . . ^_~) He glanced up at Ginny who was looking very worried. "Don't worry, I'm sure someone will find us soon. With all the people in your house, it won't be long before we're missed."  
  
He sat down on the crate again, this time a little to the side so there was room for Ginny to sit also. She smiled nervously at him before sitting down. There was a bit of an akward pause.  
  
Harry couldn't stand the stillness, and so he broke it, saying the first thing that popped into his head. "Done any more drawings recently?" Drat! He didn't think he'd ever sounded so stupid in his life.  
  
"A few," Ginny said, "What about you? Been practicing quiditch?"  
  
"A little."  
  
There was another akward silence in which both of them metally kicked themselves for not coming up with something intelligent to say.  
  
It was Ginny who finally broke the silence. "Harry?"  
  
"Yes?" He said quickly.  
  
"I. . .well. . .never mind!" Ginny said, lowering her head.  
  
"What is it Ginny?" He asked, shifting himself so that he could get a better look at her. "Is there something bothering you? You can tell me anything, you know."  
  
"Anything?" She asked, meeting his eyes, an odd expression on her face.  
  
"Anything."  
  
Lowering her eyes slightly, she took a deep breath. "Who do you see when you look at me?"  
  
Harry frowned, puzzled, "I'm not quite sure what you mean."  
  
"Well, when you see me, in the halls at school for example, do you think of me as Ginny or 'Ron's little sister?'"  
  
"Oh," said Harry, finally understanding the question. "Truthfully, when I first met you I did think of you as 'Ron's little sister,' but after the . . . er. . . 'incident' at the end of that year, you were always Ginny to me."  
  
"Oh." Ginny went red even though she looked pleased with his answer. "I know that was a bit of an odd question, but I'd been wondering. I'm so tired of just being thought of as 'Ron's little sister.'"  
  
"I know what you mean," Harry said, finding Ginny very easy to talk to. "It's just like how everyone thinks of me as 'The Boy Who Lived.' They all see me as some magnificent hero who vanquished the Dark Lord, when really I didn't do anything at all. I just wish people would see me for what I truly am. I'm not a hero. I'm just plain Harry." He paused for a moment, thoughtful. "Ginny, what do you see when you look at me?"  
  
She smiled at him. "I see a kind boy, who is loyal and would do anything to help a friend. He's a good quititch player, and he loves to pull pranks. He's done some extrodenary things in his lifetime, but he's only human. And burried beneath what everyone else percieves him as, is a normal boy who just wants a family."  
  
Harry swallowed hard and took in a shakey breath. "You don't miss much, do you?"  
  
"When you're as quiet as I am, people don't seem to realize that you're there. So, you see and hear a lot of things that most people don't pick up on."  
  
"Ginny. . ." Harry started, but his voice trailed off. She was staring up at him with an emotion in her eyes that both scared and excited him. He reached out and took her small hand in his. The next thing he knew he was leaning towards her. Their faces were getting closer. . .  
  
BANG! Harry and Ginny both leapt to their feet as the door to the shed was flung open. Fred and George burst in grinning. "Just getting our brooms," Fred said. "Didn't mean to startle you."  
  
"I'll bet you didn't," Ginny muttered angrily, "but it's a good thing you did. We were locked in!"  
  
"The lock on the door's really old," George said, shrugging. "I keep telling Dad he needs to replace it. Harry, you want to play some quititch with us?"  
  
"Sure," he said, gather up his broom and following the twins out the shed door.  
  
"Oh, and Ginny," Fred said, turning, "Mom wants to see you up at the house."  
  
~*~ ~*~ ~*~  
  
"Noooo!" Groaned Raven from their hiding place behind the shed. "I am going to murder your brothers!"  
  
"I know," Ron calmly agreed. "They were pretty close, weren't they?"  
  
"They were extremely close!" Raven started to leave, but paused and said, "Just don't forget to meet me tomarrow for phase five, and don't look so miserable." She added, seeing his dismayed look, "This will all be over soon anyway." 


End file.
